Ten LMP2 teams will contest the 2016 LMP2 WEC championship, with many hoping the new cost-friendly regulations will provide stability and consistency across the length and breadth of the category.
Five different chassis with be powered by the same Nissan VK45DE 4.5L naturally-aspirated V8 engine..
2015 LMP2 World Champion Roman Rusinov will once again defend his title with the G-Drive Racing outfit, but will do so not in the Ligier JS P2, but with the ORECA 05 that challenged for the title in the hands of Richard Bradley, Nicolas Minassian and Matt Howson. Frenchman Nathanaël Berthon will partner Rusinov, with a third driver yet to be announced.
Signatech Alpine will be looking to build on their 6 Hours of Shanghai victory (admittedly owing much to tyre choice) after finding much needed momentum in the latter half of 2016. After taking KCMG
to Le Mans victory last year, Nicolas Lapierre will head the No.36 Alpine A460 alongside WEC freshman Gustavo Menezes fand a yet to be announced driver. A second Alpine A460 will be entered via the Baxi DC Racing Alpine team funded by Jackie Chan and David Cheng (DC Racing). Cheng will pilot the car alongside former Formula E pilot, Ho-Pin Tung.
British WEC stalwarts Strakka Racing ditched plans to join the LMP1 privateer ranks this season and will instead enter their No.42 Gibson 015S with the same driver line-up. Silver driver and team co-founder Nick Leventis made great strides after Fuji last year and will be a dark horse if the cards fall their way.
John Booth and Graeme Lowdon’s F1 exodus is WEC’s gain.
While new to endurance racing, the seasoned pair will no doubt find their feet quickly having a wealth of experience in junior open wheeler categories.
The team will campaign
an ORECA 05 with Thailand’s Tor Graves and so far being the only nominated driver.
Ricardo Gonzalez has done a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure the Mexican-run RGR Sport by
Morand puts on a good show;
especially with the 6 Hours of Mexico on the calendar (also promoted by Gonzales. He will be joined by Audi factory driver Filipe Albuquerque Bruno Senna; who made his last WEC appearance with AMR in 2013.
unchanged driver line up in Scott Sharp, Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek. Ryan Dalziel will head-up the second car with Brazilian Pipo Derani and American Christopher Cumming. Having taken first blood at the Daytona 24 Hour, expect this team to hit the ground running at Silverstone.
SMP Racing return from their LMP2 hiatus (after competing in the GT ranks last season) with their faithful BR01 chassis. Nicolas Minassian will lead the No.27 driver line-up, with former Renault F1 driver Vitaly Petrov slotting into the No.37 entry.